Just One Moment More
by JPHBK
Summary: Clark Kent pays a visit to a hospital to say goodbye to his first love. (Short story I wrote between seasons 3 and 4 of Smallville)


8/28/04

He walked down the hall, looking mostly at the ground, occasionally glancing up at the room numbers. The smell in the air was one that he didn't consider pleasant. He had smelled it too many times, during too many bad moments in his life. He passed an old man who managed a weak smile at him, and he returned it. He turned the corner and knew her room was not far now.

He saw a woman leave the room with a clipboard in hand, and a frown on her face. She walked up to him and stopped for a moment, to give a him a sympathetic look. She must have somehow knew why he was there, or who he was there for. She briefly glanced down at the roses in his hand and then smiled, before going on her way. He watched her go for a moment before stopping in front of the room she had just came out of. Room 123, this was the room number they had given him.

He slowly reached for the door handle and pushed the door open. It was dark inside, nothing but a single light on that was located above the bed in the middle of the room. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He gazed at the bed, and the occupant within and felt his heart both break, and swell with love at the same time. He looked down at the roses in his hand, before reaching underneath his glasses to wipe away a stray tear that had fallen. He didn't want her to see him crying.

She stirred a little and her eyes fluttered open. She slowly turned her head and looked in his direction. He saw it in her eyes, the way they lit up as soon as they saw him. If she only knew that the feeling was and always has been mutual. He made his way over to her bedside, and placed the flowers in her frail hands. She managed a smile, the same smile that had always melted his heart, and if it still didn't do just that. He reached down and took one of her small hands in his, gentle and careful not to hurt her, or disturb the IV in it.

"Clark," she said with such adoration and love. It was when she said his name that he really felt like something special. He slowly reached up and brushed away a stray lock of hair from her eyes. The same hair he had been captivated by so many years ago, the long raven colored locks that were now mostly grey. "You came."

"Of course," Clark answered, as he looked down at the woman who had touched his life in a way that no one else had ever been able to.

"You look so handsome," she said her voice weak. Clark smiled down at her prompting another one of her beautiful smiles. He knew she was in bad shape, and she knew it too.

"You look beautiful," Clark said as he gently pulled her hand up to his face and placed a kiss on it. He saw a tear had escaped and was now cascading down her beautifully aged features. He reached up and wiped it away, his hand trembling as he did so.

"Can you stay a moment?" she asked.

"I can stay as long as you need me to," Clark answered as he pulled up a chair next to her bed, and sat down taking hold of her hand once again, as he watched her drift off to sleep.

(***)

Clark wasn't sure how long he had watched her sleep, and he didn't care, he would be content to stay like his forever, for her. His mind went back to so many memories of them, from years gone by. Memories that helped get him through long nights. Memories that he never wanted to let go of, and never would.

Flashback..

"I've been wishing for the same thing since I was five," Clark said as he took the cake out of her hands and began to place it on a stack of books next to him.

"And now?" she asked.

"And now I don't have to, she's standing right here in front of me," Clark answered, before leaning in for the kiss that would forever remain one of his most cherished moments. That night, was a dream come true, and one he still thanked God for every single day of his life, and will continue to do so.

(***)

"Clark your parents need you, I need you, I love you Clark," she said as the tears began to fall. He looked down at her and in that moment he knew what true heartbreak was.

"I love you too, more than you'll ever know, that's why I have to go," Clark answered as he looked deep into the eyes, that had seen past all of lies and loved him anyway.

Then he left her standing there in tears, and the memory still made him feel like the worst scum of the earth. No it wasn't what you would call a happy memory, but it was the first time he heard her say she loved him. Hearing her say those words were still the best three words he had ever heard in his life, and he would always hear them in his head.

(***)

"I am so sorry, but I have to go, there is nothing more I want than to stay here but..." Clark was stopped as she placed a finger on his lips, before leaning up and placing a soft kiss on those same lips.

"I understand, Clark, you are meant for greater things, and I don't want to keep you from that," she said her voice a mixture of sadness and confidence.

"I would give anything to stay here with you," Clark replied taking her hand in his.

"That wouldn't be fair to the world, the world needs you Clark," she said.

"I need you," Clark replied pulling her into a hug.

"I will always be here, Clark, always," she replied as the tears threatened to fall, but she stopped them.

"I love you," Clark said as he pulled away to look at her beautiful face.

"I love you, too," she responded. "Just promise me one thing, ok."

"Anything," Clark said.

"Think of me once in awhile," she said.

"I am sure you will fill my thoughts," Clark responded easing her worries that he would forget her.

"You should go now," she said.

"Yeah," Clark replied as he looked down at their joined hands, and felt a single tear slide down his cheek and land on their hands. He was surprised that the tear had came from him. He leaned in and kissed her one last time, before stepping back slowly, letting their hands stay interlocked as long as he could. Finally their hands seperated, but both knew their hearts were still very much intertwined, and would always be.

End Flashback..

Clark felt her stir in her bed and looked up to see she was awake again, and smiling over at him. He returned the smile as they always did. He stood up slowly and walked over to sit gently next to her on the bed. She was so small he had no trouble sliding in next to her.

"You done good, saved alot of people," she said her voice threatening to break, she knew in her heart this was it. Clark couldn't respond, he didn't trust his voice. "Don't stop, don't ever stop."

"I promise," Clark said weakly.

"Make me another promise," she said.

"Anything," he said.

"Promise me you will remember me, and the good times we had," she said.

"I could never forget," Clark answered looking over her angelic features.

"I love you Clark," she said for the last time.

"I love you too, Lana," Clark said the tears now freely rolling down his cheeks. She smiled at him again, and he leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead, letting his lips linger for a moment. "I will always love you."

He pulled back and looked down at her with her eyes now closed, and the sobs threatened to overtake his body, as he knew she was gone. She was in a better place that much was certain, but he... he would never be the same without her. He heard the doctors coming from a good distance away, this would be his last chance to say goodbye.

"Goodbye Lana, you will never know how much I loved you, and you just being you, is the reason I am who I am today, the world owes you a great thanks," he said as he brushed that stray lock of hair away one last time, before turning to leave. He stepped out of the hospital room, and leaned his head up against the door.

That same doctor came up to him as a couple of others rushed into the room. She stopped and gave him the sympathetic look once again, before going on in the room. Clark watched her go in before walking down the hall. His heart felt empty, and he knew it was because she had taken a big part of it with her. He stopped and looked at the room one last time, before turning the corner. He was lucky he got to have one moment more with the girl who had taught him what it meant to be loved, and what it meant to love, the girl who would always be hist first love.


End file.
